Clarke honored by the Carter Center

A Chicago company has come up with a simple way to make a big impact halfway around the world.

Clarke was recently honored by the Carter Center for donating special mosquito netting. These nets are saving lives in Nigeria.

22 million people in Nigeria are infected with Lymphatic Filariasis, or LF, a debilitating disease that causes excessive swelling of a person's limbs.

The disease is transmitted by mosquitos.

The Carter Center is fighting Lymphatic Filariasis through education, drug treatments and preventative measures like, distributing these bed-covering nets infused with insecticides, provided by Clarke, a local mosquito control company.

"We help communities around the world become more livable, safe and comfortable. Whether that's here in the U.S. or it's in places like Nigeria, that's our job," said Lyell Clarke, CEO of Clarke.

A few years ago, Clarke joined the Carter Center's effort to eradicate neglected tropical diseases like Lymphatic Filariasis, and to date, has supplied more than 100,000 nets.

The partnership is making progress, Lymphatic Filariasis has been wiped out in two Nigerian states. But 100 million people in that country are still at risk of getting infected.

"There's probably a worldwide demand of over 120 million of these nets a year as we try to eradicate lymphatic filariasis and malaria," said Clarke.

Clarke is a family-owned business that has worked in mosquito control for 65 years.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who founded the Carter Center thanked Clarke for providing the nets, something so simple that has made a big impact in the fight against Lymphatic Filariasis.

"If you don't think a medium-sized company can make a difference, you're wrong because we proved that we can," said Clarke.

The nets cost about $2.50 each. Three people can sleep under one net, which can last up to 5 years.